Monterey’s Wharf 2 staple restaurant announces abrupt closure

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- In a sudden announcement Thursday, Loulou's Griddle in the Middle announced that they are closing the restaurant effective immediately.

"We can’t explain just how crushed we are," wrote the restaurant on their Instagram page. "A lot of different things are at play, but to make a long and complicated story short and simple, lease negotiations were upon us and moving forward with a new lease just wasn’t going to be feasible for us."

Loulou's Griddle in the Middle is located on Monterey's Wharf 2 and has been a community staple for 24 years. The Food Network's television chef Guy Fieri visited the eatery for his show "Diners, Drive-ins, Dives" in 2022.

Acknowledging the abrupt nature of the restaurant's closure, Loulou's Griddle apologized for not getting the message out to the public sooner. "It was like a punch in the gut for our team," they wrote. "We’ve all been mourning this loss and it has been so much tougher than we could have ever imagined." 

They say that they do not intend to let the restaurant's legacy fade, asking for the community to rally in remembering the griddle. Loulou's Griddle also told the public that they will keep updated with what's next on their journey.

"YOU were what we loved most about this MAGICAL place, you are our FAMILY," was Loulou's Griddle's final salutations. "We hope to see you all again someday SOON. We love you."

The post prompted an outcry of social media support, some people suggesting that the company look to the city for support.

See the post here.